Display device

ABSTRACT

A FLUID OPERATED DISPLAY DEVICE WHEREIN A 7 X 5 MATRIX OF MOVABLE DISPLAY ELEMENTS ARE SELECTIVELY MOVED BY FLUID PRESSURE TO FORWARD DISPLAY POSITIONS AND REARWARD INVISIBLE POSITIONS. EACH FLUID OPERATED DISPLAY ELEMENT IS MAGNETICALLY RETAINED IN ITS RETRACTED POSITION AND IS SIMILARLY YIELDABLY RETAINED IN ITS FORWARD DISPLAY PORTION   EITHER BY THE ACTION OF GRAVITY OR BY ANOTHER MAGNETIC MEANS.

Jan. 5, 1971 R. F. OKEEFE DISPLAY .DEVICE Filed July 1, 1968 INVISNTOR. Robevt F. O'Keege A T TORNE Y United States 3,552,048 DISPLAY DEVICE Robert F. OKeefe, Trumbull, Conn., assignor to Pitney- Bowes, Inc., Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 1, 1968, Ser. No. 741,598 Int. Cl. G09f 11/00 U.S. Cl. 40-28 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to an improved fluid operated display device. More particularly the invention relates to a novel display unit having movable display elements that are yieldably retained in their operative positions.

In conventional types of pressure operated matrix type display devices the movement of the individual display elements follows the condition of the fluid control pulses, i.e. when the various fluid signals are applied the related display elements are displaced to one of their operative positions, and when the said signals are terminated said elements return to their other operative positions. While this system of operation is suitable for many visual display applications such a system has shortcomings when used in display situations where a particular set of characters are to remain displayed for a longer period than it is possible or practical to retain the associated fluid signal in the associated operative condition. For example alpha and/or numerical characters indicative of stock quotations, bowling scores, testing equipment read-outs, etc. are often desired to be visually read up to an hour or more after such characters have been initially posted and it may not be practical to keep the associated signal in the on condition for this length of time. The instant invention seeks to provide an improved fluid operated device that will overcome such problems.

The primary object of the instant invention is to provide a novel fluid operated matrix type display device wherein the various movable display elements are effectively yieldably latched or retained in each of their respective display and retracted positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simplified fluid operated display device wherein a plurality of movable display elements may be retained in their respective last operative conditions after termination of the signals that caused them to assume their said last operative positions respectively.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved fluid operated display device wherein the parts are arranged for very efficient operation over long periods of use.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the disclosure progresses.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view in partial section taken along section line 11 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the instant 7 x matrix arrangement for the instant display elements.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational sectional view corresponding to FIG. 1 and shows a second embodiment of the instant invention.

atent [Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a display device comprising a composite body means 10 that is mounted on a vertical base 11 by means of a suitable bracket 12 and screws 13. In its mounted position the body means 10 is tilted downwardly so as to be disposed at an angle a and with respect to the horizontal 14. The body means comprises a box like plastic housing 15 havin a window aperture 16 formed in its outer or front wall. Disposed in said Window aperture and abutting the inner surface 17 of the rectangular rim surrounding said aperture is a rectangular transparent plate 20 that has a rectangular recess 21 formed throughout most of the inner surface thereof. Mounted in said housing immediately behind said transparent plate 20 is a rectangular block 22 which is made of plastic material, such as nylon or the like, and in which is formed a plurality of parallel cylindrical passages such as 23; said passage defining a 7 x 5 matrix as may be seen from FIG. 2. In each passage is disposed a display element 24 that has a diameter that is slightly less than the inside diameter of the associated passage 23 whereby some of the fluid pressure introduced into one end of a passage 23 may bleed past the display element to the other end of said passage; each such display element 24 comprising or including a small permanent magnet. The forward or display end of each passage 23 opens into the space defined by said plate recess 21. As will be apparent each display element 2.4 is movable between a forward visible or display position at the left end of the associated passage 23, as seen in FIG. 1, and a retracted non-visible position at the opposite end of said associated passage 23. The selective displacement of the various display elements to their display or visible portions enable such displaced elements to collectively define a desired character; for example the particular selected and displaced group of display elements shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 collectively define the character 6.

The lower end of block .22 is formed with a fluid conduit bore 25 which at its forward end also opens into the said plate recess 21. Disposed immediately behind the block 22 is a rectangular plate 26 which is made of a ferro-magnetic material and in which is formed a plurality of small apertures 27 which are respectively coaxially aligned with and communicate with said passages 23, one of said apertures similarly communicating with said bore 25. A-butting the rearward side of plate 26 is a block 30 which is made of a plastic material and which is formed with a plurality of fluid conducting apertures such as 31, 32, 33 and 34; the inner end of aperture 34 being aligned with and communicating with said bore 25 through the said one associated aperture '27 in said plate 26. The block 30 is recessed at the inner end of each of said apertures 31, 32, and 33, these recesses being respectively filled with pieces of porous foam-like material 35, 36 and 37 whereby the working fluid for the system may pass therethrough but dirt or other foreign particles will be filtered out and prevented from continued fluid entrainment. The piece 35 of porous material associated with aperture 31 overlaps the three apertures 27 associated with the three passages 23a, 23b and 230, FIG. 2, that are vertically aligned in the passage column 40 whereby introduction of fluid pressure into passage 31 will result in such pressure being conducted into said three passages. The piece of porous material 36 overlaps several of the apertures 27 associated with the various passages 23 that are disposed in the center horizontal passage row 43, FIG. 2; and the piece of porous material 37 overlaps the apertures 27 associated with the three passages 23d, 23e and 23 that are also disposed in said column 40. With such effective coupling of various groups of three or more passages 23 in the 2 vertical columns 40 and 41 and in the three horizontal rows 42, 43, 44, FIG. 2, ten bar type numeric matrix characters may be visually defined, as illustrated by the said visual character 6 in FIG. 2. A rectangular frame 45 is secured by means of suitable screws 46 to the box like housing 15 in order to retain the parts in composite relation, the screw 46' servin also to mount the body means 10 on said bracket 12.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the display elements 24 disposed in the six central passages 23x of the lower half of the matrix FIG. 2, also those disposed in the corresponding six passages in the upper half of the said matrix are not used and will always remain in their retracted or non-visible positions. These twelve elements may be eliminated where only numeric characters are to be displayed; however such will be used in the FIG. 3 embodiment to be described where both alpha and numeric characters are to be displayed.

Fluid pressure may be selectively introduced into the various apertures such as 31, 32, 33, etc. so as to cause various groups of display elements to be displaced to their display positions so as to define a desired character. The forward ends of the associate passages 23 will, during such displacement of said elements, .be vented through said bore 25, and aperture 34. Due to the said tilted orientation of the body means 10 any of the display elements that are in their display positions will, by the action of gravity, remain in such position even after the fluid pressure in the associated apertures 31, 32, 33, etc. is terminated. Any of the display elements that are in their lower forward visible positions may be restored to their rearward elevated non-visible positions by the introduction of fluid pressure into the aperture 34 and this fluid pressure acting through the bore 25 and the plate recess 21. will force any such display elements back to the rearward ends of the associated passages 23. All of the display elements will be yieldably retained in their respective rearward positions by the magnetic attractive forces existing between each magnetic element 23 and the said adjacent ferro-magnetic plate 26 even after the fluid pressure in aperture 34 is terminated. This magnetic retention force is less than the fluid forces used to displace said display elements to their display positions and is considerably greater than the gravitational forces tending to cause said elements to slide down to their said forward positions. The fluid control means for the instant device may be the same as that disclosed in my co-pending application No. 588,395, filed Oct. 21, 1966, and entitled Display Device, now Pat. No. 3,400,478.

As may be seen the above described arrangement provides a simple efficient system for yieldably retaining the various display elements in both their display and retracted positions after the termination of the fluid pressure signals which displaced said elements to such positions. The embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 is particularly suitable where the instant display device is to be observed from below such as where over head bowling scores, stock prices, etc. are to be posted for a considerable period of time.

There are many instances where the display device will not be used in the tilted condition shown in FIG. 1 so that additional non-gravitational means must be provided for yieldably retaining the display elements in their forward positions. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 shows such a device 47. Here the construction and arrangement of the various parts shown correspond to that described above in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2 except for the following changes. First, the bracket 12 supports the composite body means 10 so that the display plane of the transparent plate 20 is in a substantially vertical plane. Secondly, there is a separate fluid conduit line 31' etc. and a separate recess and associated piece of porous material for each one of the passages 23. Thirdly, magnetic means are provided for yieldably retaining each display element in its display and retracted positions;

Cit

such means including the plate 26 which in this embodiment is comprised of permanent magnet material, and an additional plate 50 that is positioned between the transparent plate 20 and the block 22. The plate 50 is formed with apertures that are respectively aligned with and the same size as said passages 23" and is also comprised of a permanent magnet material. In this embodiment each display element 24' is made from a ferro-magnetic material. As will be apparent here the various display elements may now be yieldably magnetically retained in both their visible and non-visible positions regardless of the positional orientation of this embodiment of the display device.

The instant display arrangements have been found to be most efficient over long periods of use and, during this time, to require little or no maintenance.

Since many changes could be made in the embodiments of the invention particularly described and shown herein without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that these embodiments be considered as exemplary and that the invention not be limited except as warranted by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A fluid operated display device: comprising body means defining a plurality of passages;

a display element disposed in each of said passages for movement between display and retracted positions; means for conducting fluid pressure to at least one end of each of said passages;

magnetically acting means for yieldably retaining said display elements in their respective retracted positions, said magnetically acting means including said display elements and a magnetically cooperating element disposed adjacent the retracted position of said display element; and

means for mounting said body means so that said display elements are lower when in their display positions than when they are respectively in their retracted positions so that said elements may be yieldably retained by gravity in their respective display positions. 2. Apparatus as defined by claim 1: additionally comprising venting means for the opposite ends of said passages;

and

filter means interposed in said fluid conducting means.

3. Apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein said display elements each include a permanent magnet, and wherein said magnetically acting means includes a ferromagnetic plate disposed adjacent the retracted positions of said display elements.

4. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein said means for conducting fluid includes a plurality of conduit lines at least some of which each communicate with more than one of said passages.

5. A pneumatic operated display device: comprising a body means defining a plurality of passages; the outer ends of said passages being disposed adjacent a display plane;

a display element disposed in each of said passages for movement between display positions adjacent said plane and retracted positions adjacent the opposite ends of said passages;

means for conducting fluid to at least one end of each of said passages;

a first magnetically acting means for yieldably retaining said display elements in their respective retracted positions, said first magnetically acting means including said display elements and a magnetically cooperating element disposed adjacent the respective retracted positions of said display elements; and

a second magnetically acting means for yieldably retaining said display elements in their respective display positions, said second magnetically acting means including said display elements and a magnetically cooperating element disposed adjacent the respective display positions of said display elements.

6. Apparatus as defined by claim 5 wherein said first magnetically acting means includes a stationary permanent magnet plate.

7. Apparatus as defined by claim 5 wherein said second magnetically acting means includes a stationary permanent magnet plate.

8. Apparatus as defined by claim 5: additionally comprising means conducting fluid to the opposite ends of said passages for displacing said display elements towards their respective retracted positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Dingwall et a1. 40--28X(C) FOREIGN PATENTS France 40-28 (C) ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner 15 R. CARTER, Assistant Examiner 

